D&D 5E (2014) So, 5e OGL

[Mistwell]

That's...an entirely different scale.

So, like this:

versus this:

 

[Jester David]

That's how they leaked that the July UA was psionics. It's how they leaked that the underdark was the September reveal.

That's...an entirely different scale.

As [MENTION=70]Nellisir[/MENTION] says, teasing an upcoming UA is one thing, a new paradigm for 3rd Party support is another. You can give hits of a subject of an article and tease story elements without actually making a major revelation. Saying "the next storyline has an 'Alice in Wonderland' vibe" doesn't spoil anything, because it could mean lots of different things.
They can't do the same for a licence. First, most of the fans won't care. They're not publishers, they're consumers.
And you can't tease an element of a licence. Mearls can't go on Twitter and say "working on something that will let you make your own class." That will just get people expecting a product that lets people design a class.

Regardless, the actual announcement was handled through a press release and information on the website. Even when it was something the fans would have like, such as the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide.

 

[Mark CMG]

That's...an entirely different scale.

I'm not so sure. They seem to want to downplay the importance of the OGL. Dropping the bomb via Twitter while at Gen Con while they have the chance to speak to a few of the more prominent potential users in person (those who are third party ready and can afford to be at such a show) makes quite a bit of sense.

 

[Jester David]

I'm not so sure. They seem to want to downplay the importance of the OGL. Dropping the bomb via Twitter while at Gen Con while they have the chance to speak to a few of the more prominent potential users in person (those who are third party ready and can afford to be at such a show) makes quite a bit of sense.

Have they ever dropped a bomb via Twitter? Ever?
They might drop a link to the bomb site, but that's different. In that case, Twitter is raising awareness. And it's just one of many forms of social media being used to raise awareness of an announcement, and not the announcement itself.
But 160-characters is a little lite for full details of a licence.

I imagine if they were at the position to talk privately with interested companies they wouldn't need to announce anything at all. In the same way they talked about storylines and products. They just say "Hey, we want to talk OGL with you. Sign this NDA."
They don't even need to wait for the Con to do that. A good percentage of the people they work with live in Seatle and could be managed by short drive, or even a Skype call.

If they really wanted to downplay the licence, they wouldn't make it public an all, and just make it invite only.

Really, GenCon is where they used to announce things to the fans, but they stopped doing that, oh, in 2011. Since then there hasn't been a single major convention announcement. Everything has been press releases. There's no reason to think that would change for an OGL, which the fans are unlikely to be interested in. Standing in front of an audience of 700 people and saying something that makes 5 of them excited is remarkably inefficient.

 

[delericho]

Long after the Dragon CDs were produced, there was a case with National Geographic Magazine, Greenberg v. National Geographic, where the courts in 2007 ruled that National Geographic's reprints, as whole magazines, were legal.

Yep, I heard about that. With regard to the "Dragon Archive", it was too late to help, of course - WotC were by then bound to their settlement with Kenzer. But I did briefly entertain hope for a "Dungeon Archive" and/or a "Dragon Archive 2". Alas, it was not to be - though I do wonder if the issues will ever appear on D&D classics.

Given that pre-1989 ads needed a separate copyright notice to be copyrighted, the early ads were probably fine anyway.

Ah, but if you remove the ads then it's not a straight reprint. Likewise if you remove the comics.

I believe the KoDT settlement was based on them specifically limiting WotC from using them in any sort of electronic reprint.

That I did not know.

 

[Mark CMG]

Day Two of the WotC Gen Con OGL Announcement Watch has come and gone. And so begins Day Three . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGU1P6lBW6Q

 

[Mark CMG]

(snip)

Wait. Maybe I am not following you. So, you think it will happen during Gen Con except by press release? Okay, I can see that as a possibility.

 

[Jester David]

Wait. Maybe I am not following you. So, you think it will happen during Gen Con except by press release? Okay, I can see that as a possibility.

No. I'm saying that for the last four years they have not announced anything during GenCon and there's no reason to believe they will start now. They've ceased GenCon announcements.
They have no scheduled panel time to announce anything at GenCon, and there's no advantage to them announcing the OGL at GenCon.
In fact, because the staff are out of the office and at the Con, and thus unable to attend the final meetings on the OGL, it's LESS likely to happen now.

Oh, and we've hit the weekend, so the people on the west coast who work on the WotC site are now off until Monday. So they can't update the site with information.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

 

[Mark CMG]

In fact, because the staff are out of the office and at the Con, and thus unable to attend the final meetings on the OGL, it's LESS likely to happen now.

So, they're having meetings and, even though it is unlikely, they might make an announcement or press release. I've got it now.

 

[kenmarable]

I don't think have ever announced the licensing at a convention anyway. Why would they? It's a license for other publishers, but conventions are for interacting with fans. In fact, I'm pretty sure the original OGL and the GSL were never announced at conventions. Whenever a licensing announcement comes, I fully expect it to be strongly hinted at on Twitter or some such and then nothing more than a news item on the website with links to license documents.

It will be a huge announcement for other publishers, but as far as marketing to fans goes, most likely far less newsworthy in wotc's eyes than the next video game or book release. It is something we are highly invested in and interested in, but I very much doubt they see it as anything to even consider publicizing to consumers with any fanfare.

So getting hints and updates from individuals does seem more likely to me than any kind of official announcement during Gen Con for many reasons.